John Redmond

John Redmond was born in Co. Wexford in 1856. He was from a wealthy Catholic family.

Redmond was opposed to using physical force for political reasons. He admired the British House of Commons and only sought limited self-government for Ireland.

Redmond became leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1900. After the general election in 1910 the Irish Parliamentary Party held the balance of power in the British House of Commons. Redmond succeeded in getting the Liberal Party to support Home Rule for Ireland.

In 1912 the Third Home Rule Bill was passed. It was due to become law in 1914 but it was postponed because of World War One.

Redmond called on Irish men to join the British Army. This caused a split in the Irish Volunteers.

Redmond opposed the Easter Rising but before long his Irish Parliamentary Party was being replaced by Sinn Fein.

He died in 1918 before he saw his party lose most of its seats to Sinn Fein in the general election.